“I Am a Man” The Struggle for Civil Rights in Florida
Florida experienced the highest number of lynchings per capita out of any state in the country. This violence is often less understood in context with the global perception of Florida as a state with pristine beaches and perfect weather. “I Am A Man” explores the Sunshine State as a key battleground for the Civil Rights Movement. From the murder of Harry and Harriet Moore, to the Groveland Four, to the activism and protests in St. Augustine, Tallahassee, and Miami, African Americans in Florida fought—and occasionally died—to achieve justice and equality.
Participating Panelists
• Dr. Paul Ortiz is a Professor of History the Director of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida.
• Dr. Irvin Winsboro is a Professor of History at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers.
• Dr. Abel Bartley is a Professor of History at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina, and director of the university’s Pan-African Studies program.
• Dr. David Jackson (Moderator) is the Associate Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate College at Florida A&M University. He is also a Professor of History at FAMU and a member of the Board of Directors for Florida Humanities.
Race Relations in Florida | View Full Playlist >
Central Florida has become an area of rapid growth. From Zora Neale Hurston to Mary McLeod Bethune, Black women made significant contributions across Florida. Our scholars will discuss the sites and stories unique to Black women in Central Florida. Video | 1h 07m
Almost nothing survives of the shocking event known as Ax Handle Saturday. Memories locked away for half-a-century. Until now.
Video | 0h 29m
Stereotypes created during the Jim Crow era are deeply embedded in the collective American consciousness and unfortunately have been internalized by many.
Video | 1h 16m
The passage of the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote. Still, black women and men were not able to exercise voting privileges. Video | 1h 27m
The passage of the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote. Still, black women and men were not able to exercise voting privileges. Video | 1h 27m
Archaeology of Rosewood, a prosperous African American community hard-won from the swampy hammocks of north Florida. Video | 1h 16m
Following the end of the Civil War, Florida joined the other former Confederate states in rebuilding the nation. Video | 2h 01m
“I Am A Man” explores the Sunshine State as a key battleground for the Civil Rights Movement. Video | 1h 29m
In part one of this series, our scholars will discuss the physical locations and stories unique to Black women in Old (north) Florida. Video | 1h 02m
Explore the interactions during the Spanish Colonial & Slavery Era until Florida joined the United States as a territory. Video | 1h 28m
"Florida Talks: At Home!"
Central Florida has become an area of rapid growth. From Zora Neale Hurston to Mary McLeod Bethune, Black women made significant contributions across Florida. Our scholars will discuss the sites and stories unique to Black women in Central Florida. Video | 1h 07m
Two hundred years ago a group of pirates and privateers invaded Amelia Island, Florida in hopes of striking a blow for the Spanish American Revolutions.
Video | 1h 04m
The state of Florida has recently mandated public schools and institutions teach the history of the Ocoee Massacre. What happened in Ocoee, Florida in 1920?
Video | 1h 00m
Art historian, Mallory O’Connor, presents a 'Look' at Florida through the many eccentric images that tell the story of our state.
Video | 0h 55m
Explore efforts to restore Florida’s waterways and the motivations of environmentalists who love and advocate for these water bodies.
Video | 0h 59m
America has faced many crises, from its very beginning as a new nation, to the Civil War and Great Depression, to World War II, the Cold War, and 9/11.
Video | 1h 27m
To some, it’s a paradise. To others, it’s a punchline. It’s actually both, as you’ll learn from the author Craig Pittman.
Video | 1h 04m
For more than a decade, journalist Art Levy has traveled the state, interviewing prominent Floridians for a Florida Trend magazine feature called Icon.
Video | 1h 15m
Stereotypes created during the Jim Crow era are deeply embedded in the collective American consciousness and unfortunately have been internalized by many.
Video | 1h 16m
A rare look at a part of Florida history that most people have never heard of, urban fires.
Video | 1h 17m
An examination of the perceptions of women in popular culture through comic books and how this culture has changed over time.
Video | 1h 28m
After the Civil War, gaining voting rights and starting businesses, African-Americans saw education as essential to progress.
Video | 1h 00m
Diane Roberts will discuss how each new wave of Florida settlers through time has reinvented the state to suit themselves.
Video | 1h 06m
Questions that continue to impact Floridians: Who has the right to vote, what are the freedoms of citizens, and whose voices will be heard?
Video | 1h 18m
Mark Catesby surveyed Florida sixty-two years before William Bartram. This lecture is an overview of the over 200 watercolors and drawings.
Video | 1h 10m
Enslaved Africans brought their foodways with them during their forced journey through the Middle Passage. How African influence what Floridians eat today.
Video | 1h 10m
The fascinating history of Weeki Wachee Springs told through vintage photographs of the mermaids from their earliest days.
Video | 1h 13m
How Florida overcame the challenge of mosquitos, perhaps the most vexing struggle humans encountered in the past two centuries.
Video | 1h 32m
Eastern European Jewish immigrants in Key West in the 1890s delivered weapons to the Cuban revolutionary rebels.
Video | 0h 54m
The true story of how two separate oil tankers split in half off Cape Cod and how the Disney movie about the disaster was made. Video | 1h 01m
